Whatever industry you’re in, there are probably a couple of people you follow whose posts you actually like and look forward to on LinkedIn. They don’t get thousands of likes or comments, but the comments that they do get, they immediately reply to. It feels much more like a real connection than a strange type of internet celebrity.
Those are the micro-influencers that make LinkedIn what it is today. They’re seasoned experts in their field with super high engagement rates on their content, and people trust their recommendations. So if you’re looking for someone who can help you become closer to your target audience, LinkedIn is the place to be.
This article explains how to identify influencers who would work well with your brand and provides do’s and do n’ts for reaching out to them. We’ll finish it off with some tips on maximizing the impact of your partnership. Let’s go!
Who is a LinkedIn Micro-Influencer?
A LinkedIn micro-influencer is someone on LinkedIn with a smaller, highly engaged following — typically between 1,000 to 100,000 connections or followers — who regularly shares valuable, niche-specific content. These individuals have established themselves as thought leaders or active contributors in a particular field or industry, such as marketing, technology, entrepreneurship, or career development.
What makes LinkedIn micro-influencers stand out is their credibility and personal engagement. They might not have a massive audience, but their followers actively interact with their posts, seeking insights, advice, or inspiration. For example:
- A marketing strategist sharing weekly tips on building brand awareness.
- A software engineer regularly posts about new tech trends or coding best practices.
- A leadership coach posting motivational stories and practical career advice.
Why Choose Micro-Influencers Over More Popular Creators?
Here’s why smart businesses opt for micro-influencers over creators with a larger audience.
- Higher engagement rates: Micro-influencers on LinkedIn have smaller but highly engaged audiences, often resulting in more meaningful interactions like likes, comments, and shares compared to popular creators.
- Cost-effectiveness: Collaborating with micro-influencers is usually more budget-friendly, allowing you to work with multiple influencers for the cost of one popular creator.
- Easier to collaborate with: Micro-influencers are more flexible, approachable, and open to working creatively, making partnerships smoother and more customized.
- Niche expertise: Micro-influencers on LinkedIn are often true specialists in their field. They’ve got niche expertise and in-depth knowledge and are therefore seen as a trusted source of information by their followers
How to Find the Right Micro-Influencers on LinkedIn
Now that you understand the benefits of micro-influencers let’s discuss how to find the right ones on LinkedIn.
1. Define Your Criteria
Before diving into LinkedIn, it’s good to know what you’re looking for. Think about the type of micro-influencers you want to connect with. What industry are they in? For example, are you looking for someone in tech, fashion, or wellness?
Also, consider the target audience and engagement. You want people who have built a following comprising your primary target market. At the same time, they should have a healthy amount of engagement from their followers. You want people whose audience actually interacts with them, like commenting and sharing their posts — not simply swelling the numbers.
2. Use LinkedIn Search Filters
LinkedIn has some great filters to narrow your search. Start by typing keywords in the search bar — like “creator,” “consultant,” or something specific to your niche, like ”Instagram or TikTok content creator” Then use filters like industry, location, or even connection level. For example, if you’re looking for someone close to your network, filter by “2nd-degree connections.” It’s like finding influencers who are just a friend-of-a-friend away!
3. Explore LinkedIn Groups
Groups are goldmines for finding active voices in your niche. Join groups related to your field — say, a marketing or entrepreneurship group — and pay attention to who’s posting or commenting the most. People who actively participate in group discussions often have a strong influence within that community. Plus, it’s an easy way to engage with them casually before reaching out.
You can find LinkedIn groups by inputting your keyword in the LinkedIn search bar and selecting the “Group” filter to narrow down the results.
4. Check Hashtags and Content
Hashtags are another way to spot micro-influencers. Search for popular hashtags in your industry, like #SocialMediaTips or #UGCreator. Then scroll through the posts and see who’s consistently creating valuable content. You can also filter results by date posted to see the most recent content.
If a creator’s posts are getting lots of likes and comments, they’re probably someone worth connecting with. And bonus: you’ll already get a sense of their style and personality from their content.
5. Search for Influencers in LinkedIn Creator Mode
LinkedIn Creator Mode is a profile setting designed to help users grow their audience, showcase their expertise, and amplify their content on the platform. It’s particularly useful for individuals who regularly share insights, thought leadership, or content in their field and want to establish a stronger personal brand to attract brand partnerships.
Accounts with Creator Mode enabled typically display the “Follow” button as the default option on their profiles instead of the “Connect” button Here are some ways to find them:
- Search for “#CreatorMode,” “Creator Mode ON,” or “Content Creator” to surface profiles or posts mentioning Creator Mode. Then, apply filters like “People” to find individuals or “Posts” to explore content shared by creators. You can further narrow down your search by adding location, industry, or specific job titles to your filter criteria.
- Follow popular Creator Mode hashtags like #LinkedInCreator, #ContentMarketing, or #PersonalBrand. That way, you can discover creators actively posting under them.
- Look for LinkedIn profiles with a “Talks About” section, as this highlights their expertise and interests.
6. Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a premium tool offered by LinkedIn designed to help businesses and professionals identify, connect with, and build relationships with potential leads, prospects, or partners. While its primary audience is sales teams, it’s also a powerful resource for finding influencers, including micro-influencers, on the platform.
Sales Navigator offers extensive filtering options that go beyond LinkedIn’s standard search. You can search for influencers based on specific criteria like job titles (e.g., “content creator”), industries, keywords, locations, and even follower count. This makes it easier to pinpoint individuals who fit your niche and audience.
It also provides visibility into the number of followers a person has. While this isn’t a direct indicator of influence, it helps you gauge their audience size to determine if they qualify as micro-influencers.
To use this tool, you’ll need to pay for a LinkedIn Sales Navigator plan — starting at $79.99 per month.
7. Evaluate Profiles
By now, you should have a list of possible influencers to work with. Now, it’s time to vet them to see which ones align best with your goals and objectives. Here’s a quick checklist to help you do that:
- Audience Relevance: Is their audience aligned with your target demographic or industry?
- Engagement Metrics: Do their posts have consistent, meaningful engagement (likes, comments, shares)?
- Content Quality: Is their content professional, relevant, and original? Read their “About” section to see what they’re all about, and check out their featured posts to get a feel for their style.
- Values Alignment: Do their personal brand and values align with your business?
- Follower Authenticity: Are their followers real, active, and relevant?
- Collaboration History: Have they successfully worked with other brands or run campaigns?
- Conversion Potential: Do they have a track record of driving measurable results?
8. Reach Out
Once you’ve found the perfect people, it’s time to send a message. But don’t just copy-paste something generic! Mention a post of theirs you liked or something you have in common.
For example, “I loved your post on social media trends. Itt really resonated with me.” Then explain why you’re reaching out and suggest a collaboration that benefits both of you. Keep it friendly and authentic — it goes a long way.
The dos and don’ts of recruiting micro-influencers on LinkedIn
Once you’re sure of which influencers would be great for your campaign, it’s time to start reaching out. This should be a thoughtful process. Remember that you’re both asking and offering something and that for many micro-influencers, this type of work is part of their livelihood. Here’s what you should and shouldn’t do when reaching out to potential influencers:
Do: Personalize Your Outreach
Personalization is super important when reaching out to micro-influencers because it shows you actually care about them and their work, not just what they can do for you.
When you reference their posts or values, your pitch feels genuine and less like a generic copy-paste. Plus, it helps you stand out in their inbox and sets the tone for a real partnership that feels authentic to their audience. It’s all about building trust and starting the relationship on the right foot.
Don’t: Treat Influencers as Solely a Marketing Tool
Influencers are people, not just a means to promote your brand. Treating them as a marketing tool instead of a valued partner can come off as transactional and damage the relationship.
Remember, influencers have built trust with their audience by being authentic. To collaborate effectively, respect their creative input, align with their values, and focus on building a partnership that benefits both sides. When influencers feel valued, they’re more likely to represent your brand in a genuine and impactful way.
Do: Offer Value That Goes Beyond Compensation
While payment is important, influencers value partnerships that provide more than just money. Offer them something meaningful, like exclusive access to your product, co-creation opportunities, or exposure to a new audience.
Highlight how your collaboration can help them grow their personal brand, build credibility, or explore creative ideas. When you focus on creating a win-win relationship, influencers are more invested in your campaign and willing to go the extra mile.
Don’t: Base Compensation on Follower Count
You’ll often hear that working with micro-influencers is cheaper than partnering with big-name influencers, but that’s not always the case. Micro-influencers understand their value and how it translates to the businesses they collaborate with.
A well-executed campaign with the right micro-influencer can drive significantly more conversions than working with a big influencer who has lower engagement and is juggling partnerships with multiple brands.
Take this into account when you create a budget and a pitch for micro-influencers: a lower follower count doesn’t mean they’re worth less. Always look at the metrics that matter to you.
How to Make Your Micro-Influencer Partnership Successful
Once the micro-influencers you’ve had your eye on have said ‘yes’, it’s time to start your campaign. Here are some strategies to ensure your collaboration delivers results:
1. Involve Influencers Early in the Campaign Planning Process
Instead of waiting until your campaign strategy is finalized, involve influencers from the very beginning. Their input on messaging and content ideas can be invaluable since they know what resonates with their audience.
After all, they’re the experts on their followers, and their insights can help create an authentic and impactful campaign. Plus, involving them early fosters a sense of ownership and commitment, making their promotion more genuine and enthusiastic.
2. Embed their LinkedIn feeds on your website
To further amplify your influencer partnerships, you can embed their LinkedIn feeds on your website. That way, you can showcase the influencer’s content and interactions directly on your website. This will keep your website’s content dynamic and fresh. On top of that, you’re also building credibility on your website by associating your brand with trusted industry voices.
With a LinkedIn aggregator, you can curate and display relevant influencer content and give your website visitors real-time insights and updates. It’s a simple but powerful integration that helps you maintain a consistent brand message across all platforms and strengthens the connection between your website and social media presence.
3. Use influencers as brand ambassadors outside of social media
Why not expand partnerships beyond LinkedIn? You can involve influencers in other brand activities as well, such as speaking at industry events, guest blogging, or participating in panel discussions. This deepens the relationship and positions the influencer as a long-term ambassador for your brand, creating more consistent and widespread brand exposure.
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